AM~Erica is Faking Fall

So anyway...

You should already know that fall is my favorite season. If not, you can learn how much I love it by reading & looking at my Pinterest boards & Facebook updates.

The midwest has gone thru a horrible drought this year. It's sad. Even though there hasn't had to be lawns to mow...the lawns are straw. And it's not looking good for vibrant color this autumn. That makes me so sad. Because I am more than ready for the upcoming season after all the miserable triple-digit temperature days we have been surviving.

It's now mid August. We are in the "dog days of summer", a time we usually brace for serious heat! But there has been a break in the major heat. This break has also brought on some beautiful morning lows of temps in the 60's. And with Pinterest pinners pinning beautiful autumn inspired pins (i.e. nature, fashion, recipes, Halloween & Thanksgiving, colors, etc.), it makes me crave it even more.

I have been enjoying mornings with the back door open, chilling (literally & figuritively) on the deck with my cup of hot coffee in the morning or a glass of wine in the cool evening, Glade autumn scent of maple pumpkin, cardigans, sweaters, and boots. It makes gazing upon our APPLE TREE even better!

(a view of some of our apples & "straw" from the deck thru other foliage - figured out they may be Golden Delicious)

I've been eating apple-y things, wanting pumpkin-y things, gawking over autumn-y fashion, enjoying the chill-y mornings (see what I did there?)...

My hubby has been delighting in this with me, too. It also makes us long for the fall season now is that it's preseason of NFL football. GO CHIEFS! We went & checked out Chiefs training camp while it was in St. Joe, MO, and we are going to take in one of the preseason games! Can't wait to partake in some famous KC tailgating! 

Another sign of the season change is the fact that school has begun. More of a routine is being set, and it's a weird one for me. Since Teen Girl & Teen Boy are BOTH in high school, it's very strange to not have to keep going in a cycle of get-a-kid-out-the-door-and-begin-the-next-kid thing. I have down time between the older 2 leaving & Lil Guy getting up.

We have been so busy this summer, even our vacation was all about going-going-going, that it is great to have those moments of just relaxing & enjoying. We don't get to do it very often, so this is a fabulous change of pace. And a needed one. It really does help us deal with the hustle & bustle better.

Last year was too busy. We were going in 8 directions at the same time, so it made us grumpy & resentful of the seasons. You know something is wrong if I don't put up fall decor in the summertime. And I didn't. We only put up one Christmas tree last year when I usually have about 5. One got thrown up last minute, and one got put up, but undecorated, a couple of days before Christmas. That one is still up. D'oh! But we didn't enjoy our favorite times of the year last year. It was awful.

This year...we have plans, hopes & aspirations of great seasons. The drought may have spoiled the vibrant colors for the year, but it hasn't dried out our vibrant spirit of how to handle this year. We are actually excited about making plans.

We are beautifully faking fall until it shows up. I can't wait to give it a warm & cozy welcome!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Just Sees a Bunch of Chickens

So anyway...

Here we are again, in the midst of yet another situation making the divide even larger. Way to go again, media!

We are in a situation that is completely out of hand. The media took a circumstantial comment totally out of context & has turned it into this huge deal that really shouldn't be.

If you haven't guessed yet, I am talking about this whole Chick-Fil-A fiasco. It takes one misguided story from the media trying to create a story out of nothing, and things go crazy-haywire. Shame on any & all of you sucked in by it. ALL OF YOU!!!

There's a lot that went down with the story that has been so twisted that it is now a false story & has set our country into another divided frenzy. It's sickening.

Whether you did well in science or not, we should all know that for every action, there is an equal (sometimes greater) and opposite reaction. So shouting for a boycott will make the "other side" turn up in great force. So...congrats, boycotters - you've increased Chick-Fil-A's sales & have sent lines out the door. Nice job promoting that boycott. And those on the other side of the boycott...do you think this makes you look like a great person for all of a sudden showing up to a company that you've never eaten at & may not even like their food just to prove a ridiculous point against other humans? What is wrong with you???

Let's take a moment to get something straight here:

It was the son of the owner & he was asked a question about his personal stance in a conservative interview. This was not something said in an official statement for the company in a press conference; it's a view of one person at a Christian-based company. Then it got blown out of proportion. Now it's twisted & out of hand.

I, personally, like the food. I love everyone. There are black, gay, straights, whites, married, and single employees that work at Chick-Fil-A establishments that feel caught in the middle because society twisted a situational comment. These poor employees are being called haters AND being praised for hating. It's horrible. They are not gonna turn away business & they are not gonna turn away employees. It's a sad situation that shouldn't be blown up like this. 

One person's stance is not about an entire company. If that were the case...everyone should boycott every company out there for something.

We are in hater appreciation times. Yep...talking both sides. If you are not FULLY aware of the story, do some research. How sad we have to get huffy-puffy at each other for having a disagreement in views. Disagreement & hate are two completely different things. Learn the difference. It's OK to agree to disagree, it's a whole different thing to promote hate against the other side. If you are in full support of the Chick-Fil-A appreciation because of a "stance", you would be wrong in doing so. That is promoting of a misplaced hatred. For those of you in full support of the Chick-Fil-A boycott because of a "stance", you would be wrong in doing so. This promoting a misplaced hatred.

If you remember, I did a 3-part blog post on this very thing. And many dodged reading the second post...and even more dodged before reading the final post.

I hope people wake up quickly - on BOTH sides - and just hug it out & live our lives together. It's a sad & unfortunate turn of events. Congrats to the media for getting their way again...making their own story instead of reporting on what's really happening.

How about this: stop listening to just the media & do your own research. And research ALL parts of the story, not just what you want to hear. Liberals, conservatives, Non-Christians & Christians...stop giving your "group" a bad rap by being so wrongly motivated. That's awfully cowardly.

Can we all actually get along? Like...actually get along. Or are we still going to promote ugly hatred spewed at each other?

Hmmmm...

Stay tuned...


God Bless, AM~Erica